Pension News - FABF

Spring 2013 

PENSION NEWS 

PUBLICATION OF THE FIREMEN’S ANNUITY & BENEFIT FUND OF CHICAGO 

TWENTY SOUTH CLARK STREET- SUITE 1400 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603 TELEPHONE (312) 726-5823 

Office Hours - 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Monday through Friday 

http://www.fabf.org 

RETIREMENT BOARD 

Ex-Offi cio Members Elected Members 

Charles Stewart III, First Deputy Fire Commissioner Anthony R. Martin, Fund Secretary 

Stephanie Neely, City Treasurer, Vice-President Michael Shanahan, President 

Amer Ahmad, City Comptroller Dan Fabrizio, Elected Active Member 

Susana Mendoza, City Clerk of Chicago Walter Carlson, Annuitant Member 

FROM THE SECRETARY ANTHONY R. MARTIN 

The underfunded status of the public employee retirement systems in the state of Illinois will continue to command 

the forefront of political and journalistic discussion until there is a long term solution concerning the appropriate level of 

required employer funding of these systems. The lack of any comprehensive solution to remedy historical underfunding 

of the state’s pension systems in a manner that is consistent with Article XIII of the Illinois constitution (the Pension 

Protection Clause) has contributed to the lowering of Illinois’ bond rating to the worst of all fi fty states. 

The city of Chicago has its own pension mess which was created by administration policies disastrous to the 

well-being of its employees’ retirement systems. Non-public safety employee funds were adversely impacted by early 

retirement incentives and employer contribution holidays to free up revenue for other city spending. Public safety funds 

on the other hand are facing depletion from decades of chronic underfunding. The Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund 

of Chicago is currently 23-28% funded depending on the measure used. The Policemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund of 

Chicago is just slightly better at 30-35% funded. 

In the four years and three months that Governor Quinn has been in offi ce since the Blagojevich fi asco and the 

twenty three months that Mayor Emanuel has been in charge of the city of Chicago, nearly all of the legislative initiatives 

put forward in Springfi eld by the state of Illinois and city of Chicago carry a common theme: employees should contribute 

more for less in benefi ts. The enactment of PA 96-1495 created a second tier of benefi ciaries comprised of all employees 

hired after January 1, 2011. This law essentially shifts a greater portion of the cost of funding future benefi ts to the 

employee. Employees hired before the effective date of PA 96-1495 currently pay approximately 50% of the normal cost 

of their own benefi ts, while newly hired employees are now required to pay over 60% of the costs necessary to provide for 

the new tier II retirement benefi ts. 

PA 96-1495 does achieve some reduction in the amounts of the future actuarial liabilities refl ected on the books 

of each affected fund. However, this reduction in future liabilities does not signifi cantly improve the overall condition 

of the fund because the overwhelming majority of the liabilities are attributable to current retirees, benefi ciaries and 

active employees hired before January 1, 2011. For Chicago Police and Fire Funds, PA 96-1495 addresses the historical 

underfunding with very strong funding language. This new law requires that the city of Chicago contribute, beginning in 

2016, amounts necessary on an actuarial basis, to ensure that these two funds achieve 90% funding by 2040. The law 

contains strong enforcement language too. The funds will be required to notify the state Comptroller’s offi ce of any failure 

by the city of Chicago to remit the suffi cient payments to the funds. The state Comptroller has the authority to divert funds

FROM THE SECRETARY (cont.) 

from state grants that would otherwise go to the city to the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund or the Policemen’s Annuity 

and Benefi t Fund to remedy any divergence from the 90% funding requirement. 

As welcome as the news is that the city is now required to fund their longstanding debt to OUR participants’ 

retirement system, it remains a tragedy that the city’s current taxpayers will bear the impact of tax increases and revenue 

shifting far greater today than what it would have been if legislators seriously considered their obligations to the city 

employee’s retirement systems. 

The administration and our legislators do not like to be reminded that fi refi ghters, paramedics and police offi cers 

are not covered by Social Security and that the city does not make the employer’s contribution to Social Security on their 

behalf. Nor do they remember that the city does not pay for Illinois State Workers Compensation for our members other 

than for burns to exposed skin. For thirty plus years, the city benefi ted from an antiquated funding mechanism not based 

on the actuarially expected future costs of retirement and widow benefi ts. Additional revenue was not provided by the city 

for costs associated with duty disability, occupational disability, and duty death widow benefi ts. This shortfall of required 

funding occurred with the full knowledge of the city. The fi re fund has advised the city each year that the amount of 

funding provided is grossly inadequate to pay for the current and future benefi ts constitutionally required to be paid by our 

fund to participants. 

Recently we all heard about the proposal the city put forward to the Chicago police sergeants that included a three 

percent increase in employee contributions along with a drastic reduction to the amount of funding required under PA 96- 

1495. The funding reduction contained in this proposal would be devastating to our fund. The Firemen’s Fund currently 

has an annual $130 million dollar net cash outfl ow. This means we are paying $130 million more in annual benefi ts than 

the total of both employer and employee contributions. That defi cit has been growing by at least $20 million each year. The 

proposal offered to the police sergeants reduced the actuarial funding starting in 2016 to a meager 10% annual ramp to the 

city’s current funding amounts for the next seven years. The actuarial funding model would kick in after that seven year 

period. Unfortunately, given the existing level of benefi t payouts, our fund could easily be as low as 10% funded before the 

city would be required to begin paying down the unfunded obligation. The proposal refl ects the same shortsighted mindset 

that is to blame for the current underfunded status. It is frustrating to see these proposals being offered as viable solutions. 

The sergeants’ proposal also included a reduction to members’ automatic annual increases or cost of living 

adjustments (“COLAs”). The participants of the Police and Firemen’s funds already have one of the lowest COLAs in the 

state. Members of these funds born before 1955 are entitled to a 3% simple COLA while members born in or after 1955 are 

only eligible for 1.5% simple COLA. Most, if not all other plans in the state and the city have 3% compounded COLAs 

for all members. Much discussion concerning the ability of any proposal containing reductions to future benefi ts has been 

dedicated to the legislators’ concerns about the Pension Protection Clause of the Illinois state constitution. Legislators 

want to be certain that any proposal that might ultimately be passed and signed into law will not be undone by future court 

challenges. However, given the current proposals, it appears that court is where we are all destined to have these issues 

resolved. 

Recently, the Chicago Sun-Times, looking to blame employees for the city’s pension mess made numerous requests 

for participant information under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Fund staff spent many hours responding to 

several inquiries submitted by the Chicago Sun-Times concerning our members in receipt of disability benefi ts. Based on 

their reporting, it appears that they assumed that our disability recipients were abusing the system and were a contributing 

factor to our pension system’s woes. Their published stories focused on two participants receiving duty disability benefi ts. 

The fi rst disability recipient the Sun-Times focused on in their story was initially denied benefi ts by the Retirement 

Board. That denial was subsequently overturned by the Appellate Court despite compelling videotape surveillance obtained 

by the Board in its process of determining eligibility. The Sun-Times even posted this video surveillance on its website as 

part of their story. Any questions concerning the duty disability benefi t granted to this member should be referred to the 

appropriate court personnel. 

The second participant was granted duty disability benefi ts because of a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. 

After several surgeries on the same shoulder and extensive rehabilitation, two Board appointed doctors concurred with 

2

FROM THE SECRETARY (cont.) 

the member’s treating physicians who clearly indicated that this individual could not return to full duty (remember, full 

duty requires very heavy lifting capability per OSHA guidelines). The Sun-Times investigation implicated this disabled 

participant as an abuser even though she, with full knowledge of this Board, subsequently obtained new employment in 

a less physically demanding career in a neo-natal unit of a hospital. I very much disagree with the Sun-Times. Other 

than a few accommodations requested by members under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Chicago Fire 

Department does not currently have a program that requires members on disability to accept any “light duty” assignment. 

There is nothing currently in state statutes that restrict members on disability from obtaining outside employment. The 

Board actively reviews the job descriptions and duties of such members to insure that they are not performing tasks that 

would refute their testimony about their disabled status. In my opinion, the Sun-Times should have commended this 

person for overcoming her limitations and becoming a contributing, productive member of the community. 

The very nature of the work of the Fire and Police Departments is hazardous. In spite of these assumed hazards, 

the Board has been vigilant to prevent any abuse. The Chicago Fire Department and the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t 

Fund of Chicago maintains a very favorable disability experience with a lower proportion of members receiving disability 

benefi ts than any other large U.S. city fi re department. The Retirement Board revised its own internal disability policy and 

procedures manual over ten years ago. We initiated active individual case management where necessary. Working with 

Local 2, the fund also had legislation passed to allow us to better assess participants’ disabling conditions and track their 

progress while in receipt of disability benefi ts. These efforts have helped not only maintain the integrity of our disability 

process but has also been a factor in reducing the number of our participants in receipt of disability benefi ts from 504 to 

350 over the past fourteen years. 

Thankfully many in the media, as was seen with the media coverage of departed members Herbie Johnson and 

Walter Patmon, do know that being a Chicago fi refi ghter, paramedic or police offi cer is a dangerous job. There have been 

562 Chicago police offi cers and 566 Chicago fi refi ghters that have died in the line of duty. Both jobs have extraordinary 

risks and both departments have extraordinary members who answer the calls without question. In spite of being blamed 

for the city’s pension mess and being asked to allow a reduction to their future retirement benefi ts, I still believe that 

sworn personnel of both departments love their careers. Most fi refi ghters, paramedics and police offi cers are at peace with 

the risks and the pensions they were promised was a factor in accepting those risks. 

As a fund trustee for over ten years, I have been honored to serve our participants. I have seen progress on many 

issues affecting the administration and management of our pension fund. Trustees and staff have worked to reduce expenses 

while maximizing investment returns. These efforts have included the creation of the position of Chief Investment Offi cer, 

a thorough revision of our investment policies, reconstructing our investment portfolio, investing in new categories of 

investments and negotiating investment fee savings in the process. The results speak for themselves. Over the past ten 

years, which has witnessed two major recessions, our investment returns have averaged 9.02%, placing us in the top 11% 

of all large public pension funds tracked by Northern Trust and Wilshire and Associates. The fees we pay our investment 

managers (approximately a half of one percent on average) are among the lowest in the country and we have also reduced 

our active brokerage expenses by over 50% from where they were in 2002. As you also know, we moved our offi ce to 

save money and have reduced travel and educational expenses too. We have tried to leave no stone unturned in meeting 

our fi duciary duty to the participants of the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund. Despite these and other administrative 

improvements, the current unfunded status will continue to attract detractors, many with self serving motives. 

In conclusion, and contrary to the perceptions painted by some members of the news media, civic leaders and 

politicians, this fund has been diligent and has accomplished many good things long before the media and our legislators 

began focusing their attention on the retirement system problems that they ignored for so long. When I started on the CFD 

nearly twenty fi ve years ago, and for many years before becoming a trustee, many former trustees including Joe Quinn, 

Jim Nolan, Norm Holland, George Korda, Bill Wilkinson, Fred Gawryk and Tom Luczak were sounding the alarm with 

respect to funding. Since becoming a trustee, the Fund has continued to communicate the need for more funding every 

year to the city as well as inform all interested parties through publishing our annual reports on line and via mail to our 

participants. This problem is not new but rather is truly getting old. Chicago fi refi ghters and paramedics have nothing to 

be ashamed of when it comes to expecting the retirement benefi ts they have contributed toward and deserve nothing less 

than an adequately funded, secure retirement system. 

3

DECEASED PARTICIPANTS FROM AUGUST 1, 2012 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2013 

NAME DATE OF DEATH 

*MARIE A. NOVAK 02/04/2012 WIDOW OF EDWARD NOVAK 

*MARGARET E. KUCERA 06/21/2012 WIDOW OF WILLIAM J. KUCERA 

*ELIZABETH A. KING 07/23/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN P. KING 

*LORRAINE NEARY 07/23/2012 WIDOW OF PATRICK J. NEARY 

*ROBERT A. KAHN 07/24/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

*MARY LONGINO 07/26/2012 WIDOW OF NICKOLAS R. LONGINO 

*MARILYN R. KOCH 07/29/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN A. KOCH 

*WILLIAM P. FLYNN 07/31/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

ROY E. PHILLIPS 08/02/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

DANIEL E. REARDON 08/11/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

MARILYN PETERSON 08/12/2012 WIDOW OF IVAR B. PETERSON 

RICHARD CARROLL 08/13/2012 LIEUTENANT 

MARY M. KUSHNER 08/18/2012 WIDOW OF JAKE J. KUSHNER 

ROMAN W. MYSLINSKI 08/19/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

JOHN VONBERGEN 08/19/2012 BATTALION CHIEF 

JASON V. MAYOSKI 08/24/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

ALEXANDER ZMUDA 08/24/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

FIDEL G. SERRANO JR. 08/26/2012 FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC 

VIRGINIA M. CUMMINGS 08/27/2012 WIDOW OF LAURENCE M. CUMMINGS 

JAMES E. GARRITY 08/27/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

BONITA L. DOYLE 08/29/2012 WIDOW OF JAMES M. DOYLE 

GERALD R. FABER 08/29/2012 LIEUTENANT 

KATHLEEN A. NELLIGAN 08/29/2012 WIDOW OF DAVID A. NELLIGAN 

CARL W. HARRIS 08/30/2012 DEPUTY DISTRICT CHIEF 

RAYMOND E. EVERETT 08/31/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

JOHN K. DUDA 09/02/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

WILLIAM LIETZ 09/04/2012 LIEUTENANT 

JAMES NOLAN 09/04/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

MARY T. RUSSELL 09/07/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN TOTH 

APOLONIA MACYAUSKI 09/11/2012 WIDOW OF WILLIAM R. MACYAUSKI 

JOHN P. DONOVAN 09/14/2012 BATTALION CHIEF 

WILLIAM P. McINTYRE 09/15/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

MARION G. KOLOMAY 09/17/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

JOSEPH TOKARZ 09/17/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

ALBERT W. LAMB 09/18/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

WILLIAM M. McNAMARA 09/18/2012 LIEUTENANT 

JACOB D. WILLENS 09/23/2012 PARAMEDIC 

ROBERT A. OLSON 09/27/2012 CAPTAIN 

THERESE M. ZOLLNER 09/30/2012 WIDOW OF HAROLD W. ZOLLNER 

LYLE J. SCHUM 10/02/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

THOMAS D. FLAHIVE 10/04/2012 LIEUTENANT 

JAMES A. WAITKUS 10/06/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

LARRY WEBB 10/06/2012 PARAMEDIC FIELD CHIEF 

DONALD J. FOX 10/09/2012 PARAMEDIC IN CHARGE 

JOHN F. MANNING JR. 10/09/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

4

DECEASED PARTICIPANTS FROM AUGUST 1, 2012 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2013 (cont.) 


GLORIA SARTORI 10/13/2012 WIDOW OF NARCISO SARTORI 

BERNARD CHESNER 10/16/2012 CAPTAIN 

HELEN C. SMITH 10/20/2012 WIDOW OF EDWARD J. SMITH 

RUBY PFEIFFER 10/25/2012 WIDOW OF EDMUND G. PFEIFFER 

VIRGINIA GRINNAN 10/29/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN F. BERGER 

FRANK A. ZARCONE 10/29/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

DANIEL P. ERONCIG 10/31/2012 PARAMEDIC 

HERBERT JOHNSON 11/02/2012 EMT CAPTAIN 

LORRAINE S. BARTGEN 11/03/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN E. BARTGEN 

ELLA A. BENDA 11/03/2012 WIDOW OF ERVIN BENDA 

DENNIS C. BUCKEL 11/06/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

IRENE HENDRON 11/06/2012 WIDOW OF LAWRENCE T. HENDRON 

WILLIE LEGGS 11/07/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

MICHAEL F. BOYD 11/10/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

WALTER PATMON 11/11/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

JAMES FINNEY 11/13/2012 LIEUTENANT 

GEORGE G. MEEK 11/15/2012 BATTALION CHIEF 

TIMOTHY M. MIELING 11/15/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

ALBERT H. DOUGHERTY 11/17/2012 LIEUTENANT 

EDWARD H. GIANNONI 11/17/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

JAMES F. REILLY 11/17/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

EDWARD D. SMITH 11/17/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

JOAN L. TORRENCE 11/18/2012 WIDOW OF ROBERT A. TORRENCE 

ANTHONY J. STANIS 11/19/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

LEONARD J. KOSOWSKI 11/20/2012 BATTALION CHIEF 

WILLIAM A. ROHLEDER 11/21/2012 LIEUTENANT 

JAMES A. BELLUOMINI 11/23/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

JOHN J. GALLAPO JR. 11/24/2012 CAPTAIN 

NORA M. MAHER 11/25/2012 WIDOW OF JAMES D. MAHER 

ELEANOR HERKEL 11/26/2012 WIDOW OF ROBERT M. HERKEL 

BARBARA S. LAWSON 11/29/2012 PARAMEDIC 

OLIVE Y. PLENNERT 11/29/2012 WIDOW OF GEORGE S. PLENNERT 

CATHERINE A. HOWSON 12/01/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN J. HOWSON 

ANNA PIAROWSKI 12/01/2012 WIDOW OF VALENTINE PIAROWSKI 

MARTIN C. WINTERS 12/01/2012 LIEUTENANT 

THOMAS E. O'REILLY 12/04/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

ELIZABETH A. MORK 12/14/2012 WIDOW OF JAMES V. MORK 

JAMES L. CARR 12/19/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

MARY JANE FREYER 12/19/2012 WIDOW OF RICHARD A. FREYER 

DANIEL J. COOGAN 12/20/2012 FIRE ENGINEER 

STELLA WILSON 12/21/2012 WIDOW OF JOHN H. WILSON 

HARRY G. HUGHES 12/22/2012 CAPTAIN 

RAY A. REITZ 12/22/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

CHARLES FRITZ 12/29/2012 FIREFIGHTER 

VIOLET POWLEY 01/02/2013 WIDOW OF WILLIAM J. POWLEY 

5



FRANCIS P. HIGGINS SR. 01/03/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

ROSE MARIE LaROCCA 01/03/2013 WIDOW OF LUCAS J. LaROCCA 

NANCY ANN MARTIN 01/04/2013 WIDOW OF JOHN J. MARTIN 

JEAN G. KOWALSKI 01/08/2013 WIDOW OF LEONARD F. KOWALSKI 

DOLORES KILLHAM 01/09/2013 WIDOW OF GEORGE C. KILLHAM 

RICHARD A. SCHREINER 01/09/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

THOMAS F. ROUNTREE 01/12/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

NICHOLAS LUCHYN 01/13/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

JOHN A. DOHERTY 01/14/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

RENEE V. SMITH 01/14/2013 WIDOW OF CHESTER E. SMITH 

CHRISTOPHER ULRICH 01/14/2013 EMT FIREFIGHTER 

RICHARD E. GALAS 01/18/2013 PARAMEDIC 

GERTRUDE B. RYAN 01/18/2013 WIDOW OF EDMUND S. RYAN 

FREDERICK J. CELESTINE 01/21/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

THOMAS E. MINTLE 01/21/2013 FIRE ENGINEER 

ROSE L. KOWALSKI 01/22/2013 WIDOW OF HARRY J. KOWALSKI 

FRANCIS J. FINERON 01/24/2013 LIEUTENANT 

LAVERNE MANNS 01/24/2013 WIDOW OF JAMES W. MANNS 

MARGARET L. NORDOFF 01/27/2013 WIDOW OF EDWARD W. NORDOFF 

DOROTHY M. TIETZ 01/29/2013 WIDOW OF EUGENE F. TIETZ 

VICTOR DUCHENE 01/30/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

WILLIAM T. KING 02/02/2013 EMT LIEUTENANT 

RICHARD H. WILLIAMS 02/06/2013 LIEUTENANT 

PATRICIA A. DONAHUE 02/08/2013 WIDOW OF ROBERT J. DONAHUE 

NAOMI J. BURKE 02/09/2013 WIDOW OF PATRICK A. BURKE 

SHIRLEY M. JOST 02/09/2013 WIDOW OF THOMAS M. JOST 

JOHN P. MENCL 02/11/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

HERBERT WILLIAMS 02/14/2013 LIEUTENANT 

VIRGINIA R. DEDMOND 02/16/2013 WIDOW OF WALTER J. DEDMOND 

JOHN M. DWYER 02/17/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

MARY BROWN 02/18/2013 WIDOW OF COLLINS E. BROWN 

THOMAS S. MELZL 02/18/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

HARRY S. BENSON 02/19/2013 LIEUTENANT 

H. JEROME CURRAN 02/19/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

DONALD C. ZLOTKOWSKI 02/21/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

CAROLYN F. HEALY 02/23/2013 WIDOW OF JOSEPH F. HEALY 

OLIVER F. SCHLEGEL 02/28/2013 CAPTAIN 

SHARON DROBITSCH 03/01/2013 WIDOW OF ROBERT A. DROBITSCH 

HARRIETTE PILLON 03/02/2013 WIDOW OF ROBERT L. PILLON 

JAMES R. MUNSEN 03/07/2013 FIRE ENGINEER 

ANNAMAY OLIVER 03/07/2013 WIDOW OF JAY W. OLIVER 

CHARLES F. FINLON 03/09/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

LEONARD L. WILSON 03/09/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

BRUNO GANZ 03/10/2013 BATTALION CHIEF 

ROGER E. McCULLOUGH 03/11/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

6



CHARLES W. FISHER 03/12/2013 BATTALION CHIEF 

ISABELLE VARGA 03/13/2013 WIDOW OF JOSEPH A. VARGA 

JOY N. DAVIS 03/14/2013 PARAMEDIC 

ARMELDA HARRILL 03/14/2013 WIDOW OF WILLIAM A. HARRILL 

LOIS COOPER 03/15/2013 WIDOW OF ALBERT COOPER 

ELMER W. BAUER JR. 03/17/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

RUDY STEIGERWALD 03/22/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

JUANITA G. GAGNON 03/23/2013 WIDOW OF ARTHUR R. GAGNON 

LILLIAN KELSO 03/25/2013 WIDOW OF VERNON T. KELSO 

DONALD J. WALPOLE 03/28/2013 BATTALION CHIEF 

LEROY R. FLEMING 03/29/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

EDWARD G. ZAUKAS 03/30/2013 

JAMES M. DONOVAN 03/31/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

AARON L. FINLEY 03/31/2013 FIREFIGHTER 

MARIANNE McHALE 03/31/2013 WIDOW OF MEL G. McHALE 

* Denotes information received after publication of the last newsletter 

Denotes died active 

Our Deepest Sympathy To the Families and Friends Who Have Lost Loved Ones 

DAN FABRIZIO 

Dear Brothers & Sisters, 

There was a report in the February 22 nd edition of the Chicago Sun-Times regarding two issues discussed at the February 

20, 2013 meeting of the Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund of Chicago: disabilities and divestment. 

The Firemen’s Annuity and Benefi t Fund is the entity responsible for the payment of disability and pension benefi ts 

to Chicago fi refi ghters, paramedics and their families. Contributions by both the fi re service employees and the city of 

Chicago, as prescribed by state statute, are collected in order to fund the plan. The city does not, however, pay Workmen’s 

Compensation for its fi refi ghters and paramedics, except for burns of exposed skin. The city does not pay Social Security for 

its fi refi ghters. The city did not remit any Medicare payments for its fi refi ghters prior to 1986. Because of this, fi refi ghters 

and paramedics are not eligible for Workmen’s Comp, Social Security or Medicare (pre-1986). The Firemen’s pension 

fund is our member’s sole source of disability and retirement security. 

It was reported that fi refi ghters and paramedics collected $27 million in taxpayer funded duty disability benefi ts in 2011. 

The actual amount of duty disability benefi ts paid by the Fund was $15.3 million, representing approximately 6.7% of 

total Fund expenditures during 2011. Also omitted from the report was that since 1999, the number of members in receipt 

of disability benefi ts has declined 31% because of revised procedures established years ago by the Fund’s Trustees. Lastly, 

an inconvenient truth about disability payments is that the city has not contributed any amount, as required by state statute, 

to reimburse the Fund for its disability payments . Such a failure to pay what is owed to the Fund for disabilities is one of 

the causes for the severe underfunding suffered by this plan for so many years. 

Yes, the Firemen’s plan is seriously underfunded. As of 2011, the Fund’s actuarial report indicates that the pension fund 

had only 28 cents in assets for every dollar needed for future benefi t. But why is that? Most pension funds in the country 

7

DAN FABRIZIO 

receive payments for the full amount of the actuarial required contributions. Unfortunately, since the Fund’s beginning in 

1931, according to Mayor Daley’s Commission to Strengthen Chicago Pension Funds, the city of Chicago has failed to pay 

the actuarial required contribution. It was found that inadequate contributions by the employer accounted for the entire 

defi cit. The shame of it is, the taxpayers are being charged 8% interest on the unfunded defi cit, causing the defi cit to grow 

and grow. It is this unfunded defi cit that is the primary cause for the pension crisis. 

According to the National Institute on Retirement Security (“NIRS”), pension plans are effi cient in their use of capital. 

Historically, earnings on investments have made up the bulk of public pension receipts. Nationally, over the past fi fteen 

years, about 68% of pension revenues came from investment earnings, 21% from the employer payments and 11% came 

from employee contributions. Another way to explain this is the employer contributes approximately 21 cents for every 

dollar of total pension fund receipts. NIRS also found that prefunded plans have the advantage that investment earnings 

pay for the bulk of all earned benefi ts paid. This means that taxpayers get a better bang for its tax dollar contribution to 

a public pension plan if that fund is well funded. Unfortunately, the Firemen’s Plan was never adequately funded on an 

actuarial basis, which will cost taxpayers millions. 

What if the Firemen’s pension plan had been properly funded? The Firemen’s pension plan’s long-term investment 

performance has consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top tier plans, earning an average compounded return of 9.2% 

over the last twenty seven years. These investment earnings are what have kept this pension plan still going all these years. 

Think of the savings that could have been earned by the Fund had we been provided with better funding. There would be 

no pension crisis. 

During our February meeting, a proposal to require the Fund to divest (sell) portfolio holdings was made. Given the Fund’s 

successful long term track record as a strong, profi table investor, the idea of selling holdings for a reason other than an 

investment reason did not seem to be a prudent policy for the Board to adopt, nor did it seem to be in the best fi nancial 

interest of the Fund or the City’s taxpayers to establish such a precedent. 

Recently, the state of Illinois has been engaged in ongoing discussions to correct its pension underfunding problem. 

Unfortunately, it appears that the city does not want to engage in similar, meaningful discussions. It seems as though the 

city would rather have fi refi ghters reduce their benefi ts and pay more. You could never increase your contributions and 

reduce benefi ts enough to cover the city obligations to pay off the debt racked up on the “pension credit card.” 

The Chicago fi refi ghters are always open to fair negotiations and discussing pension funding solutions. We are not opposed 

to shared pain; we have no problem with contributing our fair share, in a constitutional manner, to correct the problem 

of underfunding that Mayor Emanuel has inherited. But let us also explore new pension revenue sources such as casino 

revenues, a fi nancial transaction surcharge or accessing historically low interest rates from the capital markets before 

asking fi refi ghters to pay more or proposing unconstitutional cuts to earned benefi ts. 

We as fi refi ghters believe everyone, private and public, should have a right to a fair, secure retirement. We do not believe 

the individuals or messengers who are trying to blame the entire problem of underfunding on fi refi ghters as the right way 

to resolve this issue. 

Fraternally, 

Dan Fabrizio 

REQUIRED DISCLAIMER 

The information set forth herein is believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness by, and is not to be construed 

as a representation of the Firemen’s Annuity & Benefi t Fund of Chicago, the Retirement Board (the “Board”) or any member of the Board. The 

information and expressions of opinion contained herein are subject to change without notice. All expressions of opinion, whether or not expressly 

so stated, are intended merely as such and not as representations of fact. Financial information contained in this newsletter is as of a certain date, 

is unaudited and should not be relied on. 

8

THE FOLLOWING ANNUITIES AND BENEFITS HAVE BEEN GRANTED 

AUGUST 2012 

Minimum Formula Annuity 

LT ARTERLEE ANDERSON, ENGINE 28 

AC CURT W. AUGUSTINE, AMBULANCE 41/SLD 

FF MICHAEL J. FLYNN, AIR MASK 

FF MARTIN FORMAN, ENGINE 10 

PFC PATRICK M. KELLY, 4-5-6 

EMT BC MICHAEL C. MILLER, HQ RELIEF 

FF THOMAS P. MUSCOLINO, TRUCK 31 

EMT LT WILLIAM W. SPEE, ENGINE 54 

Duty Disability 

None 

Occupational Disability 

EMT LT ALBERT MICHELON, TRUCK 48 

LT PM TIMOTHY L. STOKES, HQ 

SEPTEMBER 2012 


FFPM STEPHEN AMELIANOVICH, ENGINE 97 

FF GEORGE BUCKO, ENGINE 119 

LT JAVIER GONZALEZ, FPB 

PM JOHN S. LUNZ, AMBULANCE 12 

DDC WILLIAM E. MONROE, 6 th DISTRICT 

FF GERALD E. ROACH, ENGINE 89 

BC JESSE SANCHEZ, 6 th DISTRICT 

FF RAYMOND STANSKI, ENGINE 112 

PIC ROBERT A. WILLIAMS, AMBULANCE 19 

EMT LT JEFFREY E. XENAKIS, ENGINE 9 


FF JOHN G. FERNANDEZ, AIR MASK 

EMT CAPT KEVIN M. HICKS, ENGINE 129 

AC CYNTHIA M. RODRIGUEZ, AMBULANCE 57 

PFC JODI WARRICK, 4-4-1-1 


None 

OCTOBER 2012 


LT WILLARD J. BURTON, TRUCK 59 

LT PATRICK J. CONNORS, ENGINE 117 

EMT LT EUGENE GREEN, TRUCK 60 

EMT FF ALAN G. HOOD, ENGINE 2 

EMT LT KURT JANUS, TRUCK 11 

EMT LT WILLIAM S. KENDRICK, ENGINE 120 

PM CHRISTINE V. MARCUS, AMBULANCE 17 

DDC DANIEL PAYNE, 2-2-6 

LT WARREN ROBINSON, ENGINE 121 


LT ROBERT C. GALLAPO, ENGINE 63 

ENG DAVID PRAZUCH, ENGINE 64 

9 

OCTOBER 2012 (cont.) 


PIC DONALD J. FOX, AMBULANCE 42 

NOVEMBER 2012 

LT THOMAS S. BANKS, SQUAD 2 

AC GEORGE BUCHANAN, AMBULANCE 7 

EMT CAPT RANDY CLAY, ENGINE 69 

FF WILLIAM J. COLLINS, TRUCK 35 

FF THOMAS W. DOLOUGHTY, ENGINE 56 

PFC MICHAEL S. DURAND, 4-5-2 

BC JOHN W. EDWARDS, 10 th BATTALION 

FF FREEMAN M. GILBERT, ENGINE 50 

FF CHRISTOPHER GOMEZ, TRUCK 33 

PFC WILLIAM J. HARTE, 4-5-4 

AC OWEN E. KELLY, AMBULANCE 54 

PIC ROBERT KING, AMBULANCE 5 

EMT BC GEORGE M. KORDA, BATTALION 12 

PIC THOMAS J. KRAJECKI, AMBULANCE 14 

PIC JOSEPH C. LaMONICA, AMBULANCE 28 

EMT FF KENNETH LEE, ENGINE 73 

FF GEORGE LINK, ENGINE 99 

EMT BC THOMAS J. MAGLIANO, BATTALION 22 

FF ORAH MAHON, ENGINE 98 

EMT LT TERRENCE W. McSHANE, TRUCK 17 

PIC PAUL J. MOTISI, AMBULANCE 33 

PFC THOMAS D. MURPHY, 4-5-1 

EMT LT JAMES R. O'DONNELL, ENGINE 34 

FF MICHAEL PHILLIPS, TRUCK 40 

EMT LT DANNY H. ROBERTS, FPB SOUTH 

AC JOYCE ROBINSON, AMBULANCE 1 

EMT LT TIMOTHY H. SCHNEIDER, FPB NORTH 

PIC MARY E. SCHWARZ, 2 nd DISTRICT RELIEF 

PIC BRIAN E. SOBECK, AMBULANCE 20 

FF NICHOLAS SORRENTINO, ENGINE 57 

PIC PENNY SULLIVAN, AREA 3 

CAPT PM RONI L. THIELSEN, FPB NORTH 

FF JOSE C. WILBANKS, ENGINE 89 


None 


FF PM ARTURO ALVARADO, TRUCK 9 

DECEMBER 2012 


FF JOSEPH L. AGUILAR, ENGINE 54 

ENG JAMES M. AGUINAGA, ENGINE 28 

LT LARRY W. ANOMAN, TOWER LADDER 34 

EMT BC MICHAEL J. BARRETT, 9 th BATTALION 

EMT BC STEVEN C. BATES, BATTALION 7 

EMT LT BRIAN J. BAUER, ENGINE 88 

FF PAUL J. BEZAZIAN, ENGINE 94 

AC RICHARD W. BIEHL, AMBULANCE 4

THE FOLLOWING ANNUITIES AND BENEFITS HAVE BEEN GRANTED (cont.) 

DECEMBER 2012 (cont.) 


EMT BC PETER E. BIONDO, BATTALION 15 

EMT BC LEWIS G. BLEICHER, BATTALION 15 

FF ALBERT C. BLISSITT, FPB-WEST 

FF RICHARD A. BOIKE, AIR MASK 

LT JOSEPH A. BRENNAN JR., TRUCK 2 

ENG BERNARD J. CAREY, ENGINE 63 

FF ALBERT J. CASANOVA, TOWER LADDER 5 

FF MICHAEL CENTRACCHIO, 5-1-1 

BC EDWARD A. CERDAN, BATTALION 23 

EMT ENG BENJAMIN L. CHIRA, ENGINE 2 

FF PM ANDRIJ W. CHYCHULA, ENGINE 11 

FF JOHN D. CRANE, ENGINE 80 

EMT LT ROBERT C. DALY, AIR MASK 

EMT CAPT LaGRANT K. DAVIS, FPB-CENTRAL 

LT PM TIMOTHY F. DELANA, ENGINE 11 

LT STEPHEN DIETZ, ENGINE 69 

EMT BC MICHAEL H. DILL, MANPOWER 

EMT ENG PATRICK F. DILLON, ENGINE 2 

BC PM RICHARD A. DORY, BATTALION 14 

FF MICHAEL L. DOUGLAS, ENGINE 10 

EMT LT WILLIAM J. DOWNEY, TRUCK 38 

EMT BC KEVIN P. DOYLE, BATTALION 23 

EMT BC TEDMUND E. DUBER, 3 rd BATTALION 

FF JOSEPH R. DUELLO, TRUCK 62 

LT GREGORY G. EDINGBURG, AIR MASK 

FF MICHAEL J. EGAN, TRUCK 9 

EMT CAPT NICHOLAS FABRIZIO, ENGINE 95 

EMT CAPT DANIEL P. FERGUSON, ENGINE 62 

FF MARTIN FERGUSON, ENGINE 64 

LT PM CLINTON B. FIELDS, ENGINE 80 

EMT ENG ROBERT E. FITZGERALD, ENGINE 28 

EMT BC PATRICK J. FLAHERTY, BATTALION 22 

EMT CAPT JOHN FLEISCHHACKER, HOOK & LADDER 12 

EMT CAPT RICHARD J. FOX, ENGINE 88 

EMT ENG JAMES M. FRANZEN, ENGINE 13 

EMT CAPT DONALD J. FREZA, TRUCK 11 

EMT ENG MICHAEL E. GALLAPO, ENGINE 45 

LT PM KEITH W. GANSEL, TOWER LADDER 14 

EMT CAPT DOMINIC G. GIBSON, TOWER LADDER 21 

EMT FF MATTHEW F. GILLEN, TRUCK 17 

ENG MICHAEL GONZALEZ, ENGINE 60 

FF ROBERT J. GONZALEZ, TRUCK 3 

CAPT JOSEPH GRAHAM, TRUCK 40 

FF ASKEL J. GRANT, ENGINE 110 

FF MAURICE M. GRAYER, ENGINE 1 

ENG THOMAS M. GRISIUS, ENGINE 83 

LT DANIEL GROSH, TRUCK 29 

ENG RICHARD F. GUBALA, ENGINE 18 

ENG ELAINE HAMLET, MANPOWER 

FF JAMES W. HENRY, ENGINE 64 

FF MARK S. HOMA, ENGINE 106 

EMT CAPT ROBERT E. HOULIHAN, TRUCK 30 

PM JOHN T. HUBLEY, AMBULANCE 26 

LT WILLIAM T. HUMPHREY, ENGINE 28 

FF JOHN J. HURLEY, TRUCK 30 

10 



CAPT STEVEN IVES, ENGINE 28 

EMT FF RICHARD L. JACKSON, TRUCK 25 

EMT LT RAMON DeJESUS, ENGINE 71 

FF LEON V. JOHNSON, TRUCK 61 

EMT CAPT JOHN F. KELLY, ENGINE 30 

CAPT PATRICK J. KELLY, ENGINE 71 

LT PM JOHN G. KENNEDY, TRUCK 31 

FF PM GUNTHER KETTENBEIL, ENGINE 79 

EMT BC ANTHONY L. KING, BATTALION 21 

LT PM STEVEN R. KNOTT, TRUCK 45 

EMT BC RICHARD A. KOFFSKI, BATTALION 12 

PFC RAYMOND G. KOLASA, 4-5-4 

LT PM CHRISTOPHER KOSTER, 2-9-8 

EMT LT KENNETH P. KOZLOWSKI, ENGINE 116 

FF PM MARK KRICHIVER, ENGINE 108 

FF JOSEPH W. KWIECINSKI, ENGINE 94 

EMT BC THOMAS P. LALLY, 10 th BATTALION 

LT SHARRIEFF L. LANIER, ENGINE 75 

FF EDWARD A. LASHLEY, ENGINE 106 

FF FRANCIS LEAHY, ENGINE 70 

EMT LT JOHN F. LEHNER, ENGINE 129 

EMT BC JOHN F. LEONARD, 6 th BATTALION 

EMT ENG TODD LEWANDOWSKI, RESCUE 6-5-5 

EMT FF ALPHONSO E. LINCOLN, ENGINE 13 

ENG ANTHONY E. LONA, ENGINE 7 

BC THOMAS LYNCH, BATTALION 7 

EMT ENG SCOTT MALITO, MIDWAY 

FF THOMAS J. MALLOY, TRUCK 2 

FF MICHAEL T. MALONEY, SUPPORTS SERVICES 

LT TERRENCE E. MANGAN, ENGINE 86 

LT DENNIS MARCINEK, ENGINE 69 

EMT LT RICHARD MARTINEZ, FPB-WEST 

FF J.D. MASSEY, TOWER LADDER 10 

LT DAVID MATY, TRUCK 7 

LT JOHN F. McCALLUM JR., TOWER LADDER 10 

LT JAMES McCAMBRIDGE, TRUCK 36 

EMT BC JAMES N. McCANN, BATTALION 19 

EMT CAPT JOHN P. McCANN, TRUCK 33 

EMT LT JOHN M. McCLAIN, ENGINE 14 

ENG CHARLES McCULLOUGH, ENGINE 121 

EMT BC ROBERT L. McKEE, OPERATIONS RELIEF 

FF DAVID MELENDEZ, ENGINE 35 

EMT FF JULIO A. MENDOZA, ENGINE 32 

EMT LT ROBERT G. MICHAELS, TRUCK 33 

FF ANTHONY J. MICHI, TRUCK 36 

EMT LT ARTHUR R. MILLER, TRUCK 7 

PFC CHRISTINE MULLALLY, HQ RELIEF 

ENG JOSEPH MURPHY, ENGINE 64 

EMT CAPT PATRICK C. MURPHY, TRUCK 51 

ENG JAMES J. MUZZILLO, MIDWAY 

LT STEVE C. NEIDENBACH, ENGINE 125 

ENG MICHAEL A. NINCEVICH, ENGINE 32 

EMT LT CLARENCE E. NORWOOD, ENGINE 98 

FF GARY P. NOTH, ENGINE 64 

EMT BC DANIEL O'CONNELL, HQ




BC JOHN J. O'DONNELL, BATTALION 6 

EMT ENG JOHN OKON, ENGINE 62 

EMT LT MELVIN C. OLIVER, ENGINE 8 

EMT BC JOHN W. PARAMORE, 23 rd BATTALION 

FF MARC A. PATRICELLI, ENGINE 106 

FF JAMES PEDRAZA, TRUCK 28 

EMT ENG ERNIE W. PENTEK, ENGINE 101 

EMT LT MARTIN J. PEREZ, TRUCK 18 

LT ROBERT L. PILLON JR., ENGINE 47 

EMT CAPT WILLIAM J. PRENDERGAST, ENGINE 102 

EMT BC CARLOS M. RAMOS, OPERATIONS RELIEF 

EMT LT EDDIE M. REED, ENGINE 62 

LT GREGORY Z. ROBINSON, ENGINE 72 

PFC KEVIN J. ROCHE, OPERATIONS RELIEF 

FF ANTHONY A. RODRIGUEZ, ENGINE 109/TRUCK 32 

FF SIMEON E. ROGERS, FPB-CENTRAL 

BC EUGENE D. RYAN, HQ 

FF PETER P. RYAN, EQUIP & SUPPLY 

EMT LT ARTHUR SANDERS, ENGINE 103 

ENG RAYMOND P. SANTOS JR., ENGINE 43 

EMT LT THOMAS J. SCHERGEN, ENGINE 62 

CAPT SUSAN L. SCHMIDT, ENGINE 103 

ENG ROBERT J. SCHROEDER, ENGINE 47 

PFC ANTHONY SCIPIONE, 4-5-3 

EMT BC JEROME SHELTON, BATTALION 24 

EMT BC PATRICK D. SHEPPARD, OPERATION RELIEF 

FF MARK SIMMONS, ENGINE 121 

EMT LT ROBERT G. SMIEGOWSKI, ENGINE 106 

FF ROBERT E. SMITH, SQUAD 5 

EMT LT PAUL J. STAMPER, TRUCK 58 

EMT CAPT PATRICK E. STEFAN, TRUCK 44 

ENG DENNIS M. STENSLAND, ENGINE 125 

FF BRUCE R. STRIMEL, TRUCK 41 

EMT LT MICHAEL V. TERNES, ENGINE 96 

ENG PM JOHN P. TOOMEY, ENGINE 115 

FF OSCAR TORRES, ENGINE 65 

ENG ALVIN R. TURNER, ENGINE 72 

LT KENNETH M. VACLAVIK, ENGINE 74 

BC ANTHONY J. VANBUSKIRK, OPERATIONS RELIEF 

EMT CAPT CHARLES VAZQUEZ, ENGINE 8 

EMT LT ERNESTO S. VELEZ, 3 rd DISTRICT RELIEF 

CAPT JUAN VILLA, TRUCK 60 

EMT LT JAMES F. WARD, 5-1-1 

EMT BC PATRICK WIETLISPACH, TRUCK 13 

ENG BRADLEY F. WILSON, ENGINE 112 

ENG RAYMOND E. WOODS, ENGINE 5 

PFC STEVEN M. ZAMBELLO, 4-5-4 

FF EDWIN ZAYAS, ENGINE 86 

ENG RONALD J. ZIEMBA, ENGINE 65 


FF WARD L. PEMBERTON, ENGINE 119 


FF MICHAEL F. BOYD, TRUCK 28 

PFC JOYCE D. HOFMANN, HQ RELIEF 

11 



PIC GLORIA V. MEDINA, AMBULANCE 12 

FF RONALD ROACH, TRUCK 27 

JANUARY 2013 


EMT FF SIDNEY L. BLUSTAIN, ENGINE 55 

ENG JAMES F. BRUNO, ENGINE 44 

PFC KEVIN P. BYRNE, 4-5-5 

EMT LT MICHAEL J. CARASOTTI, TRUCK 26 

LT ROBERT F. DUBBERKE, TRUCK 35 

EMT LT JAMES E. DUNLOP, ENGINE 34 

AC JOHN L. DURKIN, AMBULANCE 12 

ENG DAVIS K. ENG, RESCUE 6-5-4/O'HARE 

EMT BC GARY T. FINNEKE, BATTALION 10 

PFC MICHAEL J. FLAHERTY, 4-5-3 

AC JON R. FRIEDMAN, MARK DIVISION 

PFC STEPHEN C. FUGAJ, 4-5-8 

LT WILLIAM F. GAVIN, 6-5-9 

EMT ENG THEODORE GURDAK, ENGINE 69 

EMT BC STEVE D. HANSON, BATTALION 21 

EMT BC RONALD D. HARVEY, BATTALION 24 

EMT LT LEROY HEARON, FPB-CENTRAL 

EMT CAPT ANTHONY J. KASPER, MIDWAY 

FF BRUCE KATO, TRUCK 7 

FF KEITH KOEPKE, TRUCK 58 

LT ROBERT J. LANG, TRUCK 13 

FF MICHAEL M. LOPEZ, SUPPORT SERVICES 

BC SAL MARQUEZ, BATTALION 16 

BC PM PAUL R. MARTIN, BATTALION 24 

EMT LT WILLIAM McHUGH, ENGINE 129 

PFC ELSBETH MILLER, 4-5-3 

CAPT RONALD E. O’KEEFE, ENGINE 110 

CAPT DAVID M. PRIETO, ENGINE 2 

LT DONALD G. RANOS, ENGINE 97 

EMT CAPT ANTHONY J. RICHARDS, TRUCK 38 

EMT ENG ROBERT A. RICHTER, ENGINE 14 

EMT CAPT JOSEPH A. RODER, TRUCK 28 

EMT BC JOSEPH SANTUCCI, BATTALION 10 

FF MERRIEL SHADLOW, ENGINE 104 

FF GEORGE SKRLAC, TOWER LADDER 54 

EMT ENG ROBERT SKWAREK, AIR/SEA RESCUE 

EMT FF BARBARA L. SMITH, ENGINE 94 

FF EDWARD T. STACKS, ENGINE 104 

EMT BC JOSEPH F. TROTTA, TRUCK 22 

EMT LT WAYNE VARNEY, TOWER LADDER 21 

EMT CAPT NOEL U. VASQUEZ, FPB-CENTRAL 

LT ANTHONY L. WILLIAMS SR., TRUCK 61 

EMT LT MARCELINO P. YBARRA, ENGINE 46 

FF DAVID J. ZOUBEK, ENGINE 68 


None 


FFPM MICHAEL J. McNAMARA, ENGINE 34


JANUARY 2013 (cont.) 

Ordinary Disability 

ENG EDWIN VALE, ENGINE 76 

FEBRUARY 2013 


EMT ENG HECTOR A. ARAMBURU, ENGINE 117 

PIC JAMES A. CARUSO, AMBULANCE 42 

ENG ROBERT C. GLOPPE, ENGINE 10 

ENG JAMES M. PRICE, ENGINE 59 

FF CHARLES SWAN, TRUCK 59 


FF STEVEN A. GORE, ENGINE 11 


None 

12 

MARCH 2013 


EMT CAPT JOSEPH A. GUARASCIO, AERIAL TOWER 1 

FF LAWRENCE FRANKLIN, ENGINE 64 

ENG MATTHEW J. MOWEN, ENGINE 11 

ENG ROBERT RAMOS, ENGINE 15 


FF MARTIN J. MROZEK, ENGINE 112 

FF SHAWN W. SPURLIN, ENGINE 97 


FF BOYCE R. COLEMAN II, ENGINE 122 

FROM THE RETIRED TRUSTEE WALTER CARLSON 

Hello again to all my old friends. I can’t believe that last year at this time it was 80 degrees in Chicago and this year we’re 

closer to 20 degrees. That’s Chicago. I’ve been in the habit of saying, “One of the nicest days last summer was St. Patrick’s 

day”. We can only hope for as nice a spring this year. 

I can also hope that the Mayor will continue our annuitant health care program too. I want to stress that this is in regards to 

retirees and widows in the annuitant health care program and not those who retired after age 60 or under one of the recent 

“free health care” incentives. Those members are still covered in the city of Chicago active employees health care plan. 

As of April 26, 2013 there has been no offi cial word as to the status of the annuitant health care program beyond June 30, 

2013. That is the date that the “Korshak Agreement” which governs the annuitant health care program provided by the city 

of Chicago as we know it, offi cially expires. I know for a fact that unless legislation is enacted in Springfi eld, the pension 

fund subsidies (paid by each of the four pension funds on behalf of the members enrolled in the annuitant program) cannot 

be paid any more. These subsidies pay for about 13% of the total costs of the program. 

So what does this mean? Are 32,000 former city of Chicago employees and their families currently enrolled in the program 

going to be out of insurance? Is there going to be another program that we can get into? We are all waiting. But I guess 

we’re getting used to it. 

We all waited while the Mayor’s expert RHBC (Retiree Healthcare Benefi ts Commission) performed its analysis about the 

anticipated future costs of the annuitant health care program. Let me tell everyone interested, this panel did a good job. 

The report is on-line at the City of Chicago website: 

http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/fi n/supp_info/Benefi ts/RHBC/ReportToMayor/RHBC_Report_to_ 

the_Mayor.pdf 

It explains the costs of the existing program and the level of cost sharing and savings among the parties when certain 

variables are changed. You probably need a math degree to understand it though. 

As good as this report was, it did not go far enough. Here’s why: 

1. The RHBC analysis ASSUMED the inclusion of the pension fund subsidies. I think they should have 

made some sort of argument about continuing them or not. The costs shared among the City and the 

annuitants will be increased without these subsidies.

FROM THE RETIRED TRUSTEE WALTER CARLSON 

2. I think the RHBC should have also recommended the continuation of a court supervised agreement. 

That way, all parties would be covered under some extension of the existing agreement and we would 

not have the nonsense, frustration, anxiety (or expense) of going back to court again and again. We 

absolutely do not need to re-invent the wheel in this matter. 

3. I also think the RHBC should have commented on the continuation of the current program of 

administration of the annuitant program. I personally have been very satisfi ed with the operation 

of the program. All items affecting all the parties; coverage, cost sharing, reconciliations etc. were 

all embodied within the agreement. 

However, the report was issued and we continue to wait. It’s been two months since the issuance of the RHBC report and 

no formal announcement or decision has been made. Probably the biggest unknown in this entire equation is to what level 

the Patient Protection and Affordability Act ("Obamacare") fi ts in and when retirees might be able to switch to plans that 

will be available under the Act. 

Supposedly, viable insurance exchanges, where retirees can fi nd competitively priced insurance, are to be operational in 

the state of Illinois in 2014. These exchanges are supposed to provide alternative options for insurance at lower prices, 

thereby relieving the former employer of the costs of maintaining the plan. I haven’t heard much of any progress on those 

exchanges. 

One of the RHBC panelists even wrote a nice editorial about funneling all the savings the city would reap when all of the 

annuitants would be adequately covered under the provisions of this Act ("Obamacare") back to the funds as supplemental 

pension funding. The sun was really shining that day. 

There have been a few other things in the news about this issue. The Mayor indicated in an interview with Carol Marin a 

couple of months back that he thought the program would continue beyond June 30, 2013 and that enough was budgeted 

to run the program through the end of 2013. 

A few of the Aldermen had a Budget/Audit Committee hearing on the matter and they reviewed all the fi ndings of the 

RHBC report. They too recognized that the budget had enough money to fund the anticipated costs for all of 2013’s 

Annuitant Health Care Program under the existing structure (no mention of the lack of subsidies) I’m not sure if that 

alone is enough authority to continue the plan. I hope it’s OK to keep sending in our bills after June 30, 2013 under such 

an informal arrangement. 

The Mayor’s “Roadmap” plan for pension reform including reference to continuing retiree health care, was developed as 

part of contract negotiations with the police sergeant's union. This was the fi rst time in my career (approx. 50 years worth) 

that I have ever seen all of these items considered under the umbrella of contract negotiations. It was resoundingly voted 

down. 

So here’s the reality. The provisions of retiree health care are not covered under the more ironclad Illinois state constitutional 

protection afforded to actual pension benefi ts. They know we’re out here waiting and they know June 30, 2013 is around 

the corner. They know how much future retiree health care is going to cost. I think they might want to hold us hostage in 

an attempt to bargain for changes to the pension benefi ts for existing city workers and retirees. 

They know the cost breakouts at several different levels at which they can squeeze the annuitants to pay more. It is likely 

that current workers and retirees might be asked to choose between future COLA increases in exchange for continued 

retiree health care. The State is considering that now in various forms of legislative amendment and discussion. 

I know these are diffi cult issues. I know that the uncertainty of health care is causing a great deal of anxiety, sleepless 

nights and heartburn, I promise to keep retiree issues at the forefront of all pension business. 

13

GIFT FUND DONATIONS AUGUST 2012-FEBRUARY 2013 

August 2012 Gift Fund Donations 

The Beemster Family Trust Kathleen Rowan 

Daniel Menard James & Janice Lynch 

Nora Mulchrone Elmwood Chapel Ltd. 

Michael & Bridget McCabe Joan Conroy 

Carol & James Meehan Marilyn Sloyan 

James V. Inendino William & Frances Alletto 

Lang Ice Company John G. Meade 

Thomas & Pauline Linane Edward & Shirley Duffi n 

Daniel & Keri Kelly Michael J. Kelly 

Donna L. Johnson Richard & Barbara Paulus 

James & Mariann Lynch James & Nancy Freeman 

Mary M. Doody Brian & Lisa O'Leary 

John & Karen O'Keefe Anthony H. Schulz 

Bruce M. Bozich Joseph & Barbara Lenzen 

Thomas & Karen Cumbee Ernest & Mary Schrodt 

Joan Carroll Thomas Rochford 

Erin K. Lynch James Kuhn 

September 2012 Gift Fund Donations 

Richard Bouse Edward Freemon 

Andres Medical Billing, Ltd. Haleema H. Brady 

Lockport Township High School Richard Bouse 

Dolores Furlong Andres Medical Billing, Ltd. 

David & Nadia Stevens Lockport Township High School 

Ottosen Britz Kelly Cooper Gilbert & DiNolfo, Ltd Dolores Furlong 

Engine 76, Truck 35, Ambulance 52 Chicago Fellowship of Christian Firefi ghters 

October 2012 Gift Fund Donations 

Paramedic Services of Illinois, Inc. CFD Engine 35 

Beverly Bank Jeffrey P. Blaksley 

Brian O'Toole Alexis Fire Equipment 

Jim Stedman James Rivera 

James J. Regan CFD Engine 109, Truck 32, Ambulance 34 

Richard Olson Heather Woodall 

CFFU Charity Fund, Inc. Chicago Fire Offi cers' Association Credit Union 

Richard Bouse 

November 2012 Gift Fund Donations 

Mark & Margaret Harper Kenneth G. Wagner 

Cornerstone Financial Advisors Joseph A. Cordero Sr. 

Teri & Larry Amidei Thomas C. Harts 

Beverly Bank Donald W. Mergler 

Virginia S. Connors James Kuknyo 

Karen Turk Thomas R. Carmody 

Joseph U. Bottalla Richard A. Wagner 

Carl & Patricia Patek Michael J. Walsh 

Carol A. Branagan-Rich Michael K. Barry 

Michael & Bernice Bachta Gerald K. Power 

James & Barbara Turk Michael J. Shanahan 

Richard & Jeanne Snyder James Stedman 

Robert & Mary Walsh Richard W. Diver 

The Burns Family Gaelic Fire Brigade 

Leslie M. Stern Design, Ltd. James E. McNally 

Kyle & Bridget Lawlor Daniel T. Sheehan 

Amanda Rennis Cortez Holland 

Steffan's Jewelers Inc. Robert & Nina Lesch 

14

GIFT FUND DONATIONS AUGUST 2012-FEBRUARY 2013 (cont). 

November 2012 Gift Fund Donations (cont) 

Luann M. Gavula Chicago Fellowship of Christian Firefi ghters 

Robert J. Brown Scott General Contracting Co. 

Dennis F. Smith Richard Graf 

Robert A. Popjoy Jr. Bernice Turner 

George Buckner Anthony H. Schulz 

William C. Alletto Samuel Rapinchuk 

December 2012 Gift Fund Donations 

Engine 46, Truck 17 & Ambulance 9 Timothy & Eileen Gainer 

Hazel T. Deacy Gerald K. Power 

Downers Grove Professional Lillian M. Wittner 

Robert W. Neylon Margaret L. Collins 

Acapulco Boys Richard & Margaret Bouse 

Michael J. Walsh Douglas & Karen Edwards 

John & Caroline Connors Allen & Peggy Greenquist 

Gloria A. Sears Bonnie Mae Anderson 

Thomas & Patricia Murphy Janice L. Radloff 

Eileen G. Werner Mark & Cynthia DeTrempe 

Robert J. Brown Lee Renis 

Donald & Margaret Bowman Dorothea T. Bidinger 

James A. Mowen Irene Bidinger 

Hugh F. Lynch Carol Patzin 

Robert & Mary Devens Dolores Furlong 

Michael Lopez Dorothy Manzie 

William & Shirley Melvin Beverly Bank 

Jeff Wessler Kenneth & Deborah Tyrrell 

John & Joan Finn Grace Stefan 

John Knight Richard & Janet Kotlarz 

Janet M. Garrett Jose Moreno 

Pamela J. Deiters James B. Fuller 

Anne C. Mate Engine 89/Truck 56 

Martin & Margaret Ranstead Gerald & Kathleen Benigni 

William & Frances Alletto Walter Schuberth 

Gerry Lichterman 

January 2013 Gift Fund Donations 

Hugh F. Lynch Margaret Ranstead 

Virginia S. Conners Gloria A. Sears 

Hazel Deacy James & Barbara Turk 

Pamela J. Deiters Jeff Wessler 

John & Joan Finn Cornerstone Financial Advisors, LLC 

Joan Knight William & Shirley Melvin 

Anne C. Mate Acapulco Boys 

Patricia Patek Lawrence & Therese Amidei 

Bonnie Mae Anderson Gerald & Kathleen Benigni 

Robert & Mary Devens John & Caroline Connors 

Allen & Peggy Greenquist Downers Grove Professional Firefi ghters 

Richard & Janet Kotlarz CFD Engine 89 / Truck 56 

Michael Lopez Dolores Furlong 

Janice L. Radloff Timothy & Eileen Gainer 

Lee Renis Gerry Lichterman 

Michael J. Walsh Dorothy Manzie 

Eileen G. Werner James A. Mowen 

Beverly Bank Thomas & Patricia Murphy 

Dorothy Bidinger Carol Patzin 

Irene C. Bidinger Gerald K. Power 

15


January 2013 Gift Fund Donations (cont) 

Joseph U. Bottalla Leslie M. Stern Design, Ltd. 

Richard & Margaret Bouse Kenneth & Deborah Tyrrell 

Donald & Margaret Bowman Karen Turk 

Robert J. Brown Lillian M. Wittner 

Margaret L. Collins William & Frances Alletto 

Hazel Deacy James B. Fuller 

Cynthia C. DeTrempe Jose J. Moreno 

Janet M. Garrett CFD Engine 46, Truck 17 & Ambulance 9 

Robert W. Neylon Grace Stefan 

February 2013 Gift Fund Donations 

Geraldine M. Doherty Thomas & Patricia Nugent 

Michael & Annette Sass Jerome Trojanowski 

Judee A. Gurgone James & Ruth Wojciechowski 

Daryl J. McNabb Gaelic Fire Brigade 

Betty Lou Weiss Robert & Mary Devens 

Nicholas LaPorta The Women's Group of Northwestern 

Susan L. Schumer CFFU Charity Fund 

Terrence & Roseann LeFevour Philip H. Corboy Foundation 

William Alletto 

Anonymous 

Raymond Antonucci 

John Bahwell 

Joseph Baldacci 

Art Banach 

John Bangs 

Thomas Barder 

Kevin Barrett 

Peter Barrientos Jr. 

Mariano Barron Sr. 

Thomas Barry 

Richard Bastian 

Lawrence Berg 

Paul J. Bezazian 

Primo Biasi 

Gerald Bingham 

John L Biniak 

Rick & Maureen Biskup 

Joe & Leemon Boatner 

Lewis Bottando 

Daniel J. Bracken 

George Brackin 

Joseph Branigan 

John Brennan 

Jack Bronke 

Raymond J. Bronke 

Alicia Brown 

Robert J. Brown Jr. 

David R. Cachares 

Michael Cahill 

William F. Calkins 

William Campbell 

Annuitant, Widow and Disability Monthly Contributions 

Walter M. Carlson 

Patrick Carolan 

Helen C. Carroll 

Doreen Chambers 

Francis Chambers 

Chris Christian El 

John A. Clancy 

Michael Clatch Jr. 

Eileen Coglianese 

Gary C. Conaway Sr. 

Michael E. Concannon 

Martin L. Connolly 

James & Darlene Corbett 

Louis Cosco 

Leo J. Cox 

Francis Craven 

Catherine Cronin 

Eugene Cronin 

James Cross 

Daniel Cullen 

Thomas Cunnane 

Gerald Cunningham 

Peter Cunningham 

Shiela Cunningham 

Joseph T. Curran 

Ronald J. Dawczak 

Mike Deckelmann 

Robert Dehler 

Sidney Dembowski 

Lyn Deneen 

Robert Devens 

Charles Dineen 

Pauline Dini 

16 

Richard W. Diver 

Sean Dolan 

Richard E. Donati 

Thomas Donnellan 

Catherine Doody 

Francis T. Dorgan 

Carla Douros 

Lawrence Doyle 

Edward Duffy 

Michael Egan 

Clarence Ellison 

Raymond M. Ellitch 

Paul Enhelder 

Sharon B. Fineron 

James Fitzgibbon 

Kevin Fitzpatrick 

Thomas R. Flamm 

Gilbert W. Fleischhacker 

Malachy R. Flisk 

Michael R. Flisk 

Michael J. Flynn 

Alfred Franco 

Joseph Furlong 

Arnold C. Gacki 

Louis Galante 

David Garcia 

Francisco Garcia 

John W. Gariti 

Diane Gatz 

Martin Gaughan 

Norbert Gierut 

Brian Gilhooly 

Nancy T. Gill 

Frank Gillie Jr. 

Edward Glugla 

Mike & Sue Godsel 

Mike & Sue Goewey 

John A. Gollogly 

Joseph C. Graber 

Kevin Grand 

William F. Graves 

Joseph Gruszka 

William Guilfoyle 

James Guswiler 

Marvin R. Hagele Jr. 

Laraine Hansen 

William J. Harte 

Thomas C. Harts 

Terrence Harty 

June A. Haus 

Timothy Hayes 

William Hayes 

George Heim 

Michael E. Hein 

Norman S. Holland 

Raymond Holland 

Carl Hopkins 

Thomas Hosty 

Jolynn Huels 

Daniel K. Hughes 

Michael Hundrieser 

Tom L. Hunter 

Timothy Hynes 

Margaret Irwin 

Jacquenette L. Jackson 

Thomas Jacques


Anthony Jaslowski 

Jack P. Jaslowski 

William Jones 

James T. Joyce 

Patrick Joyce 

Michael Juliano 

Michael Jurkash 

Michael J. Kammerer 

Steven Keating 

James E. Kehoe 

Rita Kehoe 

John Keller 

Kathleen Paolini-Kennington 

Michael King 

Thomas King 

Edwin Klinger 

Terry Knight 

George Korda 

Lawrence T. Koscianski 

Stanley T. Kotlarz 

Ronald S. Kovacs 

Kenneth P. Kozlowski 

Georgina Kroll 

James LaFaire 

James LaGreca 

James Lahey Jr. 

Peter D. LaManna 

Robert LaSpina 

LePear 

Edward LeTourneau 

Elizabeth M. Liesz 

Justine Lietz 

Michael Ligue 

Thomas Linane 

Lawrence J. Lonergan 

James J. Loughney 

Richard Luby 

Thomas L. Luczak 

Judith Lux 

Lawrence Mahler 

Joseph Mahoney 

August Malatia 

George Marek 

Nick Marino 

Thomas Markham 

James Abbatemarco 

Patrick Ahern 

Richard Alberts 

Eliasard Alcauter 

Jim Aldworth 

Robin Alvarez 

Kevin Angus 

William Marx 

Lawrence Matkaitis 

Richard Matkovich 

Lorraine McCarthy 

Edward McClung 

Jerry McCormack 

James & Patricia McCormick 

James McDermott 

Bernard McDevitt 

Michael McDevitt 

James McDonough 

Patrick R. McFarland 

Bob McGee 

Kevin McGinley 

Gerald McKee 

John H. McKee 

Helen McManus 

William McNamara 

John McPolin 

Jim & Joan McVady 

Michael Michon 

Robert Mierendorf 

Michael C. Miller 

James F. Mindak 

Rose A. Mohr 

Francis Moran 

Patrick J. Moran 

Thomas F. Moran 

John Moriarty 

Dennis Morrissey 

Robert Mrozek 

Joseph Mueller 

Timothy Mulcahy 

Richard Munson 

John Murray 

Tina Muscare 

Lawrence Myers 

Robert North 

Sven Oak 

James Oboikovitz 

Lawrence Oboikovitz 

John O'Brien 

Jamie L. O'Callaghan 

Joseph W. O'Connor 

Andrew J O'Donnell 

17 

Daniel O'Farrell 

John O'Hare 

John Ollry 

William G. Olson 

Patrick O'Malley 

Philip J. O'Neill 

Dorothy M. Ormond 

Robert Parise 

Bruce D. Parker 

Edwin & Joan Paulsen 

Richard V. Paulus 

Ronald Payne 

Mark Pecor 

Patricia K. Pemberton 

George Philbin 

Chester Piech 

Sam Pipitone 

Marian Pospisil 

Maureen E. Prendergast 

Stanley Prysok 

Geraldine Punjak 

George Radka 

Anthony J. Richards 

Howard Rimm 

Rudolph H. Rinas Jr. 

Anthony Romano 

Arthur Rosenquist 

Kenneth Rutka 

Patrick M. Ryan 

Donald B. Salzman 

John Schaefer 

Patricia A. Schaudenecker 

George Schlomas 

Michael Schoenecker 

Anthony Schulz 

Herman Seef 

Jack Seguin 

Daniel Sheehan 

William Sheridan 

Michael T. Shrader 

Wayne Sieck 

Jeffrey C. Silhan 

Vanesse Simmons 

Thomas Smith 

Jack & Lee Smithers 

Active Members Contributing via Payroll Deduction * 

Robert Arens 

Richard Aseves 

Joseph Atkins 

Jerry Augustine 

Lorenzo Ayala 

Wesley Bailey 

Robert Bansley 

Fredi Barroso 

Lee Basile 

Bradley Batka Jr. 

Richard Bauknecht 

Daniel Baumgartner 

Shelby Beckley 

David Benz 

James Snyder 

Peter Soto 

Stanley Span 

Richard O. Sterling 

Terrence Stewart 

Roger Stillman 

Dennis Stuart 

Richard J. Sturm 

Joseph Sudar 

Cornelius Sullivan 

Dennis Sullivan 

John P. Surane 

James Sutera 

Donald Svachula 

Jean Swierczynski 

Thomas M. Tafel 

Richard J. Ternes 

Robert Terzich 

Anthony P. Thomas 

William Thomsen 

Elizabeth A. Tinaglia 

Daniel Toth 

Michael Town 

Robert Trench 

Eleanor Tripam 

John Tumpich 

Robert Valentinas 

Joyce VanDorp 

John Vidinich 

Edgar Wagner Jr. 

George Walsh 

Peter Walsh 

Robert C. Walsh 

John G. Wassinger 

David White 

Jean White 

Frank J. Williams 

Winston Williams 

Thomas J. Wiltzius 

James Winbush 

Thomas Wisniewski 

Edward Witowski 

Raymond Wittekind 

Richard Zordan 

Josephine Zuccarello 

Thomas Bierwirth 

Daniel Biniak 

Scott Birmingham 

Charles Bliss 

Charles Bober 

James Bonnett 

Stephan Bosniack Jr.


Maureen Bracken 

Steven Brazel 

Richard Brenn 

Kenneth Bruno 

Frank Burens 

Brian Burke 

Robert Burke 

Michael Butkus 

Brendan Byrne 

William Cader 

Dennis Cahill 

Jerry Cambria 

Brian Campbell 

Danny Carbol 

Frank Carone 

Patrick Carr 

Gerald Carter 

Patrick Casey 

Patrick Chambers 

Anthony Chavarria 

Michael Chesack 

Scott Chibe 

Richard Clemens 

Kyle Cloud 

Stephen Coachman 

Thomas Cody 

Richard Colby 

Ronald Coley 

Steven Collazo 

Gary Coney 

Brian Conrad 

Patrick Coogan 

Tim Corcoran 

Brian Corley 

Michael Cronin 

Frank Crossin 

Monyett Crump 

Alberto Cruz 

Raymond Cullen 

John Cullina 

Michael Cummings 

Peter Cunningham 

Thomas Czerniak 

Michael Daly 

Marlon Dampier 

Eric Davis 

Scott Davis 

Michael DeBella 

Daniel DeGryse 

Frank DeMarco 

Sean Devine 

Fernando Diaz 

Tyron Dickens 

Active Members Contributing via Payroll Deduction (cont) * 

Myron Dillow 

Robert Dodovich 

Martin F. Doherty 

Martin J. Doherty 

Donald Don 

William Doody 

Daniel Draper 

Michael Dudak 

Patrick Duddleston 

Alan Dudek 

Justin Dukes 

Charles Duncan 

Cory Eason 

Peter Eck 

Kevin Edgeworth 

Daniel Ennesser 

Ryan Enright 

Dan Fabrizio 

Cynthia Fagiano 

Patrick Fahrenbach 

Patrick J. Farrell 

Vincent Farris 

Matthew J. Fasan 

Michael Feyerer 

John Figliuolo 

Raymond Fineron 

Brian Finn 

Patrick Finn 

Sean Finn 

Ryan Finnerty 

Roger Fisher 

James Fitzgerald 

Patrick Fitzgibbons 

Garrett Flavin 

Lawrence Flynn 

Robert Fornaciari Jr. 

Thomas Furlong 

Michael Gacki 

Robert Gacki 

Ernest Gaichas 

Keith Gajeski 

William Gallapo 

Jose Garcia 

Ben Garrett 

William Gathling 

Timothy Geers 

Robert Gembala 

John Gleason 

John Glennon 

Joseph Gloude 

Drewone Goldsmith 

Eugene Gomez 

Gregory Gontarek 

18 

Matthew Graber 

Robert Graham 

Kevin Graves 

David Griggs 

Wayne Grooms 

Lawrence Grose 

Mark Grunauer 

Michael Guerin 

Gustavo Guerra 

Anthony Guerrieri 

Eric Guiden 

Hank Hamadeh 

Jameel Hamilton 

Kenneth Hanik 

William Heenan 

Michael Hein 

Brian Helmold 

Johnny Hendricks 

Paul Henneman 

Zachary Henry 

Edward Herrera 

Joseph Hoefl ing 

Samuel A. Holloway 

Philip Holzman 

Lee Hooper 

Peter Houlihan 

Gregory Hovanec 

Timothy Hunt 

Jerald Hunter 

Michael Imparato 

Russell Inniss 

John Jakubec 

Timothy James 

Dorian Johnson 

James Johnson 

John Joyce 

William Joyce 

Lawrence Kaczmarek 

Ed Keating 

Brian Kehoe 

Joseph Kerzich 

Glen Keys 

Neil Kinahan 

Brian Kinnear 

Michael Kirkpatrick 

Chuck Klomfar 

Garry Konchar 

Anthony Konieczka 

Jeff Koranda 

Robert Korn 

George Korzen 

Kyle Kostelny 

Ronald Kovacs 

William Kowal 

Andrew Kowaluk 

Joseph Kozmin 

Eric Kracinski 

Kevin F. Krahn 

Richard Kramer 

Brian Krawczyk 

Christopher Kreski 

Richard Krey 

James Krzeczowski 

Darin Lamb 

Mark Lanham 

Frank LaScola 

Frank Lehner 

Michael Lenihan 

Andrew Lewandowski 

John Leyden 

John Limberopoulos 

Richard Lona 

Roberto Lopez 

James Lopresti 

Neil Lubomski 

Mitchell Ludwig 

Jeffrey Lyle 

James Lyons 

Daniel Mainczyk 

Michael Malloy 

John Manchester 

Bernard Marasa 

Timothy Markham 

Anthony Martin 

Barbara Martin 

Bob Martin 

Kevin Martin 

Terence Martin 

Alan Martinez 

Seth Martinez 

Phil Marx 

David Matuszak 

Daniel McAuliffe 

Austin McCarthy 

Maureen McCarthy 

Robert McCrea 

Marc McDermott 

John McGill 

John McGinn 

Stephen McGinnis 

Mike McGrath 

Tom McGrath 

Geoffrey McIntosh 

Lee Ann McKay 

Brain McKermitt 

Sean McLean


Mark McMillen 

Stephen McMillin 

Sean McMullin 

James McNally 

Daniel McVicker 

Julio Mendoza 

Thomas Meziere 

Brent Michalek 

William Monaco 

Jeffery Moore 

Patrick Moran 

Jose Moreno 

Jared Morris 

Anthony Moss 

James Mullaghy 

Joseph Murphy 

Kevin Murphy 

Patrick Murphy 

William Murphy 

Anton Muth 

Daniel Myers 

Robert Natale 

Christopher Nechvatal 

Robert Nelson 

Jeff Neumann 

Robert Neylon 

Thomas Niego 

Kevin Nitsche 

Patrick Nixon 

Clarence Norwood III 

Robert Nowicki 

John Nudo 

Mark Obog 

Michael O'Boyle 

Robert O'Boyle 

Gary O'Brien 

Timothy O'Brien 

Walter Obrochta 

Kevin J. O'Connor 

Paul O'Connor 

James O'Donnell 

Active Members Contributing via Payroll Deduction (cont) * 

Terry O'Donnell 

James O'Donovan 

Christopher O'Hara 

Kevin O'Hara 

Andrew Okon 

Sherry Olszewski 

William Oswald 

Luis Otero 

Joseph T. Owens 

Michael Palomo 

James Parisi 

Thomas Paston 

Jason Peace 

Isaac Pena 

Lori Perez 

Roger Perez 

Jeff Perovic 

Eric Peterson 

Charles Petruzzi 

Frank Phee 

Frank Plescia 

Daniel Polli 

John Popp 

Jeffrey Porter 

Daniel Power 

Frank Pressel 

Phillip Prestia 

Mark Prestigiacomo 

Scott Przystal 

Anthony Pulido 

Kenneth Purcell 

David Quintavalle 

Elias Quintero 

Brian Rafferty 

Joseph Ramirez 

Richard Ranos 

Scott Regnier 

Daniel Reidy 

Terrence Reilly 

Jerome Rickert 

Alfredo Rios 

19 

Abel Rivera 

Michael Roche 

Thomas Roche 

Harry Rolston 

Thomas P. Ruane 

Thomas E. Ryan 

Timothy Ryan 

George Ryback 

Martin Sarhage 

Christina Sarnowsky 

Charles Scarberry 

Richard Schofi eld 

Steven Schulz 

Thomas Scully 

Daniel Sedory 

Timothy Serbin 

Anthony Serritelia 

Michael J. Shanahan 

Daniel Sheahan 

Dennis Sheahan 

Terrence Sheppard 

Eugene Shim 

Steven Shimkus 

Michael Shrader 

John Siil 

David Sircher 

Leah Siwinski 

John Skudnig 

Frank Smagacz 

Michael Smandra 

Kevin Smith 

Matthew Smith 

Anthony Spangelo 

Steven Spreitzer 

John Stalzer 

Joseph Stanislawksi 

Joseph Stefansko 

Frank Stephens 

Charles Stewart lll 

David Stoeck 

James Stoll 

Daniel Sullivan 

Devin Sullivan 

Terrence Sullivan 

Theodore Sullivan 

Dennis Szczepaniak 

Paul Szczygiel 

David Szymczyk 

Michael Tagler 

Steven Tanguay 

Gregory Taylor 

Todd Taylor 

Scott Telkamp 

Bridgette Tertell 

Michael Tobar 

Christopher Tolbert 

John Tonne 

Thomas Torrence 

Timothy Trench 

Daniel Truesdale 

Angelo Tsokolas 

Bryan Tymick 

Thomas Ulanski 

Michael VanArkel 

DeShawn Vance 

Michael Vojtas 

Edward Waliczek 

Francis Walsh 

James Walsh 

Kevin Ward 

Lawrence Wells 

Steven Whiters 

Robert Whittle 

Michael Wilson 

Kevin Wirtz 

Lawrence Wooden 

Jeffrey Zarobsky 

Angelo Zeritis 

Donald Ziemba 

Thomas Znavor 

Matthew Zwolfer 

Thank you to all for your generosity 

* The above listing may not include all members who have graciously signed up for the Active Payroll Deduction program. This 

listing represents members that have enrolled through the assistance of Local 2, through the stewards or at the Fund offi ce. It 

does not include members who signed up directly through the City. Our appreciation goes out to all members who have chosen 

to support the Widows’ and Children’s Assistance Fund.

FROM THE ACTIVE TRUSTEE MICHAEL J. SHANAHAN 

In this edition of the Pension News, my fellow trustees have expounded on issues that our annuitants and active 

members are forced to consider each day due to the constant media attention focusing on the “pension crisis” 

in the state of Illinois. 

Trustee Martin discusses at length the current underfunded status of our fund and some of the reasons we are 

in this precarious situation. Trustee Carlson answers some of the questions regarding the Retiree Healthcare 

Benefi ts Commission and the current status of retiree healthcare. Lastly, Trustee Fabrizio points out 

misconceptions, errors and omissions in the media’s reporting of our benefi ts, disabilities and contributions. 

I would like to take this opportunity to review our investment returns and to illustrate why investment returns 

alone cannot provide a healthy fund. 

The year 2012 has seen continued upward movement. As of this writing, your fund is up 6.86% through 

March 31, 2013 which places our fund in the 3rd percentile within the Northern Trust universe of public funds. 

The chart below shows that as of March 31, 2013 we consistently outperform most other pension funds, as 

measured by the Northern Trust. 

Time Period Annualized Return Percentile Rank 

Year-to-Date 6.86% 3 rd 

1 Year 12.01% 8 th 

3 Year 11.03% 9 th 

5 Year 4.77% 57 th 

10 Year 9.94% 6 th 

Over the last ten years, our annual return is nearly 10%, which is almost 2% above our actuarial assumed 

expected rate of return of 8%. These investment returns are directly attributable to our prudent diversifi cation 

across most asset classes, including large and small, domestic and international stocks, bonds, private equity 

and commodities. 

Even with these strong, positive, best in class returns, your fund continues to struggle with signifi cant 

underfunding. As much as we would like, and as hard as we might try, we cannot invest our way out of our 

underfunded status. 

While no one can predict the course of future investment returns, either positive or negative, your Trustees will 

continue to be prudent, vigilant and diligent in the management and oversight of our investable assets. 

20

ENDE MENZER WALSH & QUINN WIDOWS' AND CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE FUND 

Through the Ende Menzer Walsh and Quinn Retiree’s Widow’s and Children’s assistance Fund (IRS authorized 501(C) 

(3)charitable organization) Active and Retired members, many businesses, and many of our friends across the city have 

contributed generously to help us raise and distribute money to the neediest of our participants. In 2012, we disbursed 

over $750,000 last year to 628 widows and 83 children. These gifts made possible by active and retired fi refi ghters, 

paramedics and our generous benefactors have helped many who are truly just barely making ends meet. Nearly as 

important, the people we help are remembered as extended members of our Chicago Fire Department. It has always 

been our goal to help ease the burdens that come with the loss of a father or mother or husband. What we have 

accomplished over more than 25 years has been no small task. There are so many people who are truly deserving of 

our gratitude to help make the support we provide others possible. 

Having been involved with this Gift Fund has really been a rewarding experience. Every year we get hundreds of phone 

calls and thank you cards from widows and children in gratitude for the support that you provide. Some of the calls 

really put things in perspective. In 2012, one elderly widow called shortly before Christmas and told us the story of how 

she was boiling water for nearly three months because she couldn’t afford to get her hot water heater fi xed. The check 

we sent her enabled her to get it fi xed and she called to say thank you to everyone that helped that made it possible. 

Many others write in fond remembrance of their departed husband and tell of how much the Chicago Fire Department 

has meant to them and their families. 

Many people and organizations throughout the City have taken note and have volunteered their support for which we are 

extremely grateful. Jack O’Callahan, former 1980 US Olympic Hockey Gold Medal winner and Chicago Blackhawk 

along with Judy Rice, former City Treasurer and current Harris Bank Vice President were instrumental in initiating 

our annual Blackhawks Vs. Police and Fire Charity Softball Games. Jack and Judy along with the entire Chicago 

Blackhawks and Harris Bank organizations jumped in and helped us greatly expand a Chicago corporate outreach 

allowing us to do even more than we have in the past. The Chicago Blackhawk Alumni, The Harris Bank, The Chicago 

Firefi ghter’s Local 2, Sal Ferrara of Ferrara Pan Candies, Larry Wirtz now with WGN and Carol Cooling and Jodi 

Bajor of NBC, the Blackhawks Ice Girls, Pepsi, Saint Xavier University, CBOE and CME, The Battle of the Badges 

committee, The Chicago Police Memorial and our MC Mike Adamlee are just a few who have been instrumental in 

our growth as a charity. They all have a piece in that new water heater for one of our neediest widows. They all helped 

many elderly widows purchase and wrap Christmas presents for grandkids. 

I would also like to personally thank a few of our own Chicago Fire Department members who are always willing to 

commit their time and services. Local 2’s director of Public Relations Tim O’Brien, Lt. Mike Neeham and Lt. Dave 

Leno were very instrumental in building stands and preparing the fi eld for this year’s event at SXU. I would also like to 

thank my fellow trustees and staff for their support and attendance at the event. 

On April 23rd, while fi nishing the newsletter and planning for this year’s event, I opened a letter for the Gift Fund and 

was pleasantly surprised to receive a check from our former mayor, Richard M. Daley for our Ende Menzer Walsh & 

Quinn Retiree’s Widow’s and Children’s Assistance Fund. While I was preparing the formal IRS required contribution 

receipt, Mayor Daley called to let us know that support that we provide to our neediest participants is special, unique and 

helps a lot of deserving people. On behalf of all involved, I expressed our thanks for his generous support. 

In conclusion, given our neediest participants needs and the fact that they receive no cost of living increases. We are 

committed to always increasing our efforts. We are beginning our efforts for this year’s event. We’ll gladly accept 

anyone’s offer to help in any capacity. We are all committed to an even better year. To all of you that contributed, thank 

you. For those that want to contribute, call the Fund offi ce at (312) 726-5823 and we can assist with payroll deduction 

for active and retired members. 

21

SOFTBALL 

22

SOFTBALL 

23

FIREMEN’S ANNUITY & BENEFIT FUND 

Twenty South Clark Street 

Suite 1400 

Chicago, Illinois 60603 

PENSION FUND OFFICE OBSERVED HOLIDAYS 

The Pension Fund Office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. 

The Fund Office is closed on the following holidays: 

New Year's Day 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

Lincoln's Birthday 

Washington's Birthday 

Pulaski Day 

Memorial Day 

July 4th 

Labor Day 

Columbus Day 

Veterans' Day 

Thanksgiving 

Christmas 

PRESORTED 

STANDARD 

US POSTAGE PAID 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 

PERMIT NO. 1174

Pension News - FABF

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